Strand carrier for braiding machines



Feb. 4, 1969 R. H. KAUFMANN STRAND CARRIER FOR BRAIDING MACHINES Sheet v of Filed Feb. 19, 1968 ll/ 35 I06 36' //0 V I J 73 5 F 4, 1969 R. H. KAUFMANN 3,425,315

I STRAND CARRIER FOR BRAIDING MACHINES Filed Feb. 19, 1968 United States Patent 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Strand carrier for high speed braiding machines having a rotatable bobbin from which strand material is withdrawn to be fabricated into braided material on the machine, a first toothed member on the carrier releasably connected to the bobbin, overrunning clutch means associated with the first toothed member for permitting rotation of the first toothed member with the bobbin in the strand withdrawing direction while preventing rotation of the first toothed member and bobbin in the direction opposite to the strand withdrawing direction, a second toothed member fixed against rotation but movable axially into and out of holding engagement with the first toothed member, a shifting lever connected to the second toothed member, and a tension member movable by the strand from a strand take-up position to a position in which it operates the shifting lever to disengage the second toothed member from the first toothed member to permit movement of the first toothed member and bobbin in the strand withdrawing direction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention is directed to a strand carrier for braiding machines the strand carrier having a rotatable bobbin on which the strand material is wound, a tension member for applying a constant tension to the strand as it is withdrawn from the bobbin to be braided into fabric on the machine, and means for controlling the rotation of the bobbin including ratchet teeth on the bobbin or on a member associated with the bobbin, a detent member which is biased by spring means into holding engagement with the teeth associated with the bobbin and means which is operated by the tension member to release the detent member from holding engagement with the bobbin to permit withdrawal of the strand material from the bobbin as the strand material is braided into the fabric.

Description of the prior art In strand carriers for braiding machines the strand material is wound on bobbins rotatably mounted on the carriers and the bobbins are alternately held to provide tension in the strands and released under the control of tension members to permitwithdrawal of the strands :as the carriers are moved along sinuous paths about a braiding point of the machine to be braided into fabric. In prior strand carriers, such as disclosed in Patent No. 3,03 8,3 67, issued June 12, 1962, and Patent No. 3,324,757, issued June 13, 1967, the strand bobbin is provided with ratchet teeth for engagement by a single tooth pawl which is moved by spring means into holding engagement with the ratchet teeth on the bobbin. The pawl is released from the bobbin by a tension member which is moved by the strand,

3,425,315 Patented Feb. 4, 1969 against the action of compression springs, from a strand take-up position to the pawl release position. Following release of the pawl from the bobbin, the bobbin is rotated by the tension in the strand material and the tension member is then moved in the take-up direction by the compression springs to take-up the excess strand material, withdrawn from the bobbin and not required at the braiding point, and this movement of the tension member again permits the pawl to move into engagement with the ratchet teeth to stop the bobbin. When the strand material is metal wire the additional weight of the material causes the ratchet teeth on the bobbin to impact the pawl with sufiicient force as to damage both the ratchet teeth and pawl. This causes failure of the pawl to stop and hold the bobbin in the required manner and very often results in a complete loss of tension in the strand which in turn results in the formation of defective fabric.

Also when the carriers of said Patents Nos. 3,038,367 and 3,324,757 are operated at high speeds the added weight of the wire material when coupled with the inertial forces developed as the carriers move in opposite directions between inner and outer portions of their sinuous paths cause the bobbins to rotate in the reverse or strand rewind direction. At this time the force of the rewind movement of the bobbin is sometimes sufiicient so as to completely compress the springs controlling the movements of the tension members and the force required to stop the reverse momentum of the bobbin is then transmitted directly to the strand. The force required to overcome the inertia of the bobbin to again rotate the bobbin in the strand withdrawal direction following each reverse movement of the bobbin is also transmitted directly to the wire. When the wire strand comprises a single filament of relatively heavy gauge the force exerted to stop the reverse movement and restart the bobbin in the strand payoff or withdrawal direction does not materially affect the strand. However, when the strand is made up of a plurality of fine gauge filaments the force required to stop reverse movements of the bobbin and to restart the bobbin in the strand withdrawal direction causes the filaments having the greatest tension when wound on the bobbin to break. This results in the formation of defects in the braided material which is only eliminated by reducing the speed at which the carriers are operated.

Summary of the invention Briefly summarized the invention resides in the provision of means for controlling strand withdrawing movements from a strand supply bobbin of a strand carrier including a first toothed member adapted for releasable engagement with the bobbin for rotation with the bobbin, means for permitting rotation of the first toothed member with the bobbin during strand withdrawal movements thereof but preventing rotation in a direction opposite to the strand withdrawing movements of the bobbin and first toothed member, a second toothed member adapted for only axial movement relative to the first toothed member, spring means for moving the second toothed member into holding engagement with the first toothed member, a shifting lever connected to the second toothed member, and a spring controlled strand tension member which is movable from a strand take-up position to a second position in which it operates the shifting lever to move the second toothed member from holding engagement with the first toothed member. The first and second toothed members are provided with the same number of teeth so that during movement of the second toothed member into holding engagement with the first toothed member the force of impact between the members is distributed over all of the teeth thereof.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a strand carrier according to the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the carrier of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale taken in the direction of the arrow 4 of FIG. 3 with parts being broken away in order to show other parts more clearly;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 66 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line and in the direction of the arrows 7-7 of FIG. 2.

Description of the preferred embodiment The braiding carrier of the instant invention is adapted for use in both vertical and horizontal types of high speed braiding machines and is particularly suited to the feeding of wire strand material from a supply bobbin on the carrier to a point at which the strand is braided into a fabric. Specifically, the braiding carrier includes a bobbin on which the strand is wound, fixed guide members for guiding the strand from the bobbins to the braiding point, a tension member for the strand and means for controlling the rotation of the bobbin to pay off the strand as it is used at the braiding point including a first toothed member connected to the bobbin, means for mounting the first toothed member whereby the first member and bobbin are permited to rotate in a strand withdrawing or pay-oft direction but are prevented from rotating in a direction opposite to the payoff direction, a second toothed member, means for preventing rotation of the second member while permitting it to move axially into and out of holding engagement with the first member, springs for normally moving the teeth on the second member into holding engagement with the teeth on the first member, and a shift member which is moved by the tension member to move the second member out of holding engagement with the first member to permit the first member and bobbin to rotate in the strand pay-off direction.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 3, the braiding carrier includes a foot member 10 which is adapted to be secured, as by bolts 11, to horn gear operated foot members of conventional Carriers or other similar driving members, indicated diagrammatically at 14 in FIG. 1, which are adapted to operate the carriers along oppositely directed sinuous paths about the braiding point of a high speed braiding machine. A spindle 12 is mounted in fixed position in the foot member (FIG. 5), for rotatably supporting a bobbin 16 for strand material 17 of single or multiple filament steel wire or the like. Also secured in fixed position in the foot member 10 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3) are posts or standards 20 and 21, a spaced pair of tubular support members 22 and a support rod 25, for purposes hereinafter described. The upper ends of the posts 20 and 21, support members 22 and support rod 25 are retained against deflection relatively to each other by a bracket 26 which is secured to the posts and support member as by pins 27 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

A flange 30 on the end of the bobbin 16 adjacent the foot member 10 has slots 31 extending radially from the center of the spindle 12 at opposite sides of the axial center of the spindle for releasably receiving lugs 32 projecting from an upper face 35 of a flange member 36 on which the bobbin rests (FIGS. 4 and 5). The flange member 36 is provided with a central hub portion 37 having a bore 40 for receiving, as by press fitting, the outer shell of an overruning clutch assembly 41. The clutch assembly 41, which is of a commercial type such as shown in US. Patent No. 3,241,641, is mounted on the spindle 12 and acts to permit the flange member 36 and bobbin 16 to rotate in the strand pay-off direction, which is in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2, but prevents rotation of the flange member and bobbin in the direction opposite to the strand payoff direction. A lower face 42 of flange member 36 is maintained in engagement with an upper surface 45 of a hub 46 on the foot member 10 by a washer 47 mounted on the spindle 12 between the upper end of hub 37 of the flange member and a C-ring 50 carried in a groove 51 in the spindle (FIG. 5) to prevent axial movement of the flange member on the spindle.

A key member 52, carried in a slot 56 in the free end of the spindle 12, has an elongated slot 57 adapted to receive a pin 58 mounted in portions of the spindle at opposite sides of the slot 56. The key member 52 is provided With notches 60, as shown in FIG. 7, for engagement with a spring pressed ball 61 carried in the spindle 12. In its position of FIG. 7 the key member 52 is in engagement with an upper surface of the bobbin 16 to maintain the lower flange 30 of the bobbin 16 in engagement with the upper face 35 of the flange member 36 and the lugs 32 on the flange member in driving engagement in the slots 31 in the flange 30. When it is required to replace an empty bobbin with a full bobbin the key member is moved to engage the outer end of the slot 57 with the pin 58 and the key member is then rotated to a vertical position where it is held by engagement of the ball 61 in the notch 60 adjacent the outer end of the slot 57 in the key member. After the empty bobbin is removed and replaced by a full bobbin the key member is rotated in either direction to its horizontal position. The key member is then moved to engage the inner end of the slot 57 with the pin 58 where it is held by engagement of the ball 61 in one of the notches 60 adjacent the inner end of the slot 57.

In its path from the bobbin 16 to the braiding point of the machine, the strand 17 passes from the bobbin around the post 20 and under a grooved roller 65 freely rotatable on a support member 66 secured in fixed position in the foot member 10. From the roller 65 the strand passes over a grooved roller 67 rotatably mounted on a pin 70 secured in a tension member 71 slidably mounted on the support members 22 and support rod 25 (FIGS. 1 and 6). From the roller 67 the strand passes under a grooved roller 72 rotatably mounted on a pin 73 carried in the foot member 10 and over a grooved roller 75 rotatably mounted on a pin 76 secured in a bracket 77 and from the latter roller between guide fingers 80 on the bracket to the braiding point of the braiding machine. The bracket 77 is pivotally mounted on a reduced portion 81, of the support rod 25, extending beyond the bracket 26.

The tension member 71 is adapted to be moved from its position of FIG. 1 by the strand 17 to apply tension to the strand under the control of coil type compression springs 82 mounted on the support members 22 between the tension member and foot member 10 and a compression spring 85 mounted on the support rod 25. The spring 85 which is shorter than the springs 82 is mounted on the rod 25 between the tension member 71 and an adjustable nut 86 carried on a threaded portion 87 of the support rod 25 adjacent the foot member 10 (FIG. 1) the spring terminating below the tension member when the latter is in the position of FIG. 1. With this arrangement the initial movement of the tension member to tension the strand is resisted'only by the force of springs 82 but as the tension member continues its tensioning movement it engages the spring 85, the force of the latter spring is then also added to the force of the springs 82 to resist the continued movement of the tension member.

As the carrier moves around the braiding point of the machine, the bobbin 16 is alternately held against rotation and released to permit the strand to be withdrawn or payed off of the bobbin. For holding the bobbin 16 against rotation, the lower face 42 of the flange member 36 is provided with a circular series of equally spaced teeth 90 for engagement with a similar circular series of teeth 91 formed on an enlarged flange portion 95 of a sleeve member 96 (FIGS. 4 and 5). The sleeve member 96 has a central opening in interfitting engagement with the hub 46 of the foot member 10. The central opening in the sleeve member 96 has an opposed pair of keyways 97 for receiving keys 100 secured, as by screws 101 in slots 102 in the hub 46 of the foot member. Engagement of the keys 100 in the hub 46 with the keyways 97 in the sleeve member 96 prevents rotation of the sleeve member on the hub but permits axial movement of the sleeve member to move the teeth 91 thereon into and out of holding engagement with the teeth 90 on the flange member 36.

The sleeve member 96 is moved to engage the teeth 91 thereon with the teeth 90 on the flange member 36 by compression springs '5 positioned between the sleeve member andthe foot member, as shown in FIG. 4. The sleeve member is moved to disengage the teeth thereon from the teeth on the flange member by a ring-shaped shifting member 106 pivotally mounted on a pin 107 carried in a portion 110 of the foot member 10. Extending inwardly from opposite sides of the shifting member on a diametric line parallel to the axis of the pivot pin 107 are pins 111 each of which is adapted to engage in an aperture 112 in the flange portion 95 of the sleeve member 96 (FIGS. 3 and 5). At a point diametrically opposite the pivot pin 107, the shifting member 106 is provided with a nose portion 115 for engagement with a striker bar 116 (FIGS. 3, 4 and 6) secured in a slot 117 in the tension member 71 by screws, one of which is shown at 120 in FIG. 6.

During movement of the carriers along their sinuous paths around the braiding point of the machine the tension member 71 moves from a take-up position to a position in which the bar 116 engages the nose portion 115 and moves the shifting member 106 to shift the sleeve member 96 and teeth 91 thereon out of engagement with the teeth 90 on the flange member 36. Upon disengagement of the teeth of sleeve member 96 from the teeth of flange member 36 the bobbin is rotated by the tension in the strand material and the tension member 71 is then moved toward its take-up position to take-up the excess strand material withdrawn from the bobbin and not required at the braiding point. This movement of the tension member in the take-up direction again moves striker bar 116 out of contact with the shifting member and permits the springs 105 to move the sleeve member into engagement with the flange member to arrest and hold the flange member and bobbin. During movement of the tension member between its strand take-up and bobbin release positions the tension member is initially only under the influence of the springs 82 and the tension member then engages and compresses the spring 85 so as to exert the greatest tensioning force on the strand as the bobbin is released. When the bobbin 16 is full the bobbin and flange member are moved only the distance of a single tooth 91 before they are again arrested and held by the sleeve member 96. However, when the bobbin is nearing depletion the bobbin may move a distance of two or more teeth 91 before it is again arrested and held by the sleeve member.

It is believed to be obvious that by providing the same number of teeth in both the flange member associated with the bobbin and the sleeve member the force of impact of the flange member on the sleeve member as the latter is again moved into holding engagement with the flange member and bobbin is distributed evenly on all the teeth of these members. Also, the provision of the overrunning clutch means prevents reverse movements of the flange member and bobbin thereby eliminating damage to the strand material and the resulting damage to the fabricated article. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the length of the spring 85, as shown herein, is for illustrative purposes only and that the length of spring may be varied to in turn vary the resistive force added thereby to the force of the springs 82 during only a portion of the movement of the tension member, as above set forth, or throughout the movement of the tension member between its take-up and bobbin releasing positions.

It will be understood that the improvement specifically shown and described by which the above results are obtained can be changed and modified in various ways without departing from the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

We claim:

1. A strand carrier for a braiding machine, said carrier having a foot member, a spindle on said foot member for supporting a bobbin having a strand coiled thereon for rotation in a strand pay-off direction, means for guiding said strand along a path from said bobbin to a point at which said strand is to be braided into a fabric, a tension member for tensioning said strand in said path from said bobbin to said braiding point, and means for controlling the movement of said tension member between a strand take-up position and a second position, the improvement comprising means for holding said bobbin against rotation including a first toothed member on said spindle, means for releasably connecting said first toothed member to said bobbin, a second toothed member on said foot member, means for moving said second toothed member into holding engagement with said first toothed member, shifting means associated with said second toothed member, and means on said tension member for operating said shifting means to move said second toothed member out of holding engagement with said first toothed member during movement of said tension member from said take-up position to said second position.

2. In a strand carrier according to claim 1 in which there is means for preventing axial movement of asid first toothed member on said spindle, and there is means associated with said spindle and said first toothed member for permitting rotation of said first toothed member and said bobbin in said strand pay-off direction on said spindle and for preventing rotation of said first toothed member in a direction opposite to said strand pay-oif direction.

3. In a strand carrier according to claim 2 in which said means associated with said first toothed member and said spindle is overrunning clutch means.

4. In a carrier according to claim 3 in which there is means for mounting said second toothed member on said foot member for axial movement into and out of engagement with said first toothed member, said mounting means preventing rotation of said second toothed member relative to said foot member and said first toothed member.

5. In a carrier according to claim 1 in which said first toothed member has a circular series of teeth, and said second toothed member has a circular series of teeth corresponding in number to the teeth in said circular series on said first toothed member.

6. In a carrier according to claim 1 in which said means controlling the movement of said tension member includes first and second springs for controlling said tension member during a portion of the movement of said tension member from said take-up position to said second position, and a third spring coacting with said first and second springs for controlling said tension member during another portion of the movement of said tension member from said take-up position to said second position.

7. In a carrier according to claim 6 in which there is means for mounting said tension member for movement References Cited between said strand take-up position and said second UNITED STATES PATENTS position including a pair of support members fixed in said 2897 716 W959 018 on 87 57 first member, and a support rod fixed in said foot member, 370355367 6/1962 Karg said first and second springs being mounted on said Sup- 5 3 107,57 10 19 3 Carter g7 22 port members and said third spring being mounted on 3,324,757 6/1967 Ri h d 37 22 said support rod between said tension member and said 3,362,282 1/1968 Karg 8722 foot member.

8. In a carrier according to claim 7 in which there is 10 JOHN PETRAKES Pnmary Examme means for adjusting the position of said third spring on US. Cl. X.R.

said support rod. 8757 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,425 315 February 4, 1969 Robert H. Kaufmann et al.

It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading to the drawings, line 1, "R. H. KAUFMANN" should read R. H. KAUFMANN ET AL. In the heading to the printed specification, line 3, "Donald Richard" should read Donald Richardson Signed and sealed this 17th day of March 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, IR.

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

